Only if
by Cissa DeLancome
Summary: After the Yule Ball, Harry has an encounter with Cedric and makes an unexpected discovery. HPCD - Oneshot - SLASH


**Title:** Only... If  
**Author:** Natalie  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
**Summary:** After the Yule Ball, Harry has an encounter with Cedric and makes an unexpected discovery.  
_The corners of Harry's mouth twitched a little, but that was about all he could muster. It was nice that Cedric was still making an effort to talk to him, as they were the only ones there and considering Harry had been glaring daggers at him and Cho all night._  
**Notes:** Christmas... fluff. Because every ship needs its trademark mistletoe fic. Set right after the Yule Ball. Thank you to **folly** for betaing this and getting it back to me before Christmas.

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_Only... If_

Harry picked up his pace to keep up with Ron, who was stomping furiously back up to the Gryffindor common room in his lacy maroon dress. Hermione had stalked off the other way, red in the face, but no where near the deep shade Ron was, now almost perfectly matching his attire.

Upon reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry experienced a brief moment of panic as he searched for his wand in the many pleats and folds of his dress robes.

"Bugger," he muttered. "Wait up, Ron—I think I dropped my wand somewhere in the Great Hall." He paused. "I'm going to go get it, okay?" he asked cautiously.

Ron looked livid. "Fine!" he hissed, before slamming the portrait hole shut.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned around, heading back the way he had came. He couldn't believe this; the night had turned out to be a total disaster, and he was sure Ron and Hermione weren't going to get over their little spat any time soon.

As he ascended the staircase a few students passed him on their way up. The Ball must be over, he thought, it certainly had gone by fast. In the main hall he saw the Weasley twins, arms slung over each others' shoulders and staggering, giggling, with Angelina, equally as lucid and clinging onto George's arm, and off of Fred's was hanging—Lee Jordan? Well, Harry thought, I guess it makes sense.

They spotted him and Fred slurred, "Harry! M'boy!" and George announced loudly in mock surprise, "Good Lord, it's Perry Hotter!" The foursome doubled over in giggles; Lee fell on his rear, tears leaking from his eyes.

"Weasley! Jordan!" McGonagall's voice rang through the hallway. She rushed up to them and scowled. "Johnson," she said briskly, "I expected better of you—and _Potter?_"

Harry put his hands up and waved them in front of his face. "No, Professor," he said, glancing at the incoherent heap on the floor, "I'm not with them, I just forgot something in the Great Hall."

"Very well, then," McGonagall replied. "Hurry up and return to your dormitory immediately—no dawdling," she added sternly.

Harry nodded and went past the entrance hall where clumps of students were walking out of the provisional Ball room together; he barely managed to get through the opposing traffic.

The Great Hall was now empty save a few seventh year Ravenclaws, who just as soon crossed the dance floor to leave. Harry immediately saw his wand lying on the floor, under the table where he had been sitting with Ron the whole time, and went to retrieve it.

"Harry?"

He recognized the familiar voice and straightened up, turning around to see Cedric Diggory standing a few feet away.

The Hufflepuff prefect was definitely not on Harry's list of people with whom he wished to get pulled into awkward conversation. "Oh, hi," he said.

"Lose something?" he asked, walking over and scanning the floor with his eyes.

"Oh no, I got it." Harry held his wand up for the other boy to see, then placed it back into one of his robe pockets. "It's just these huge robes," he said, making a motion with his arm and watching as the black cloth practically billowed before dropping it down again.

"Ah, I see. Good thing," Cedric said, nodding, "You never know when that might come in handy." He smiled.

The corners of Harry's mouth twitched a little, but that was about all he could muster. It was nice that Cedric was still making an effort to talk to him, as they were the only ones there and considering Harry had been glaring daggers at him and Cho all night.

"Um, why are you still here?" he asked, hoping it wasn't painfully obvious he was trying to avoid a silence that would prompt Cedric to tell him off about staring at his date.

"Prefect's duties. I just have to make sure everyone leaves the room and that there aren't any kids passed out under the tables," Cedric said, raising his eyebrows in mock annoyance, a crooked smile playing at his lips.

Harry laughed a little at that, remembering the twins. "No," Harry said, eyes sweeping the large room, still glinting with the sparkles emitted from the candle light, bouncing off the shiny decorations. "We're the only ones left."

A silence, then, "I know." Harry looked over at him again; Cedric had fixed his calm grey eyes on him and seemed to be studying him.

Harry, wanting to avoid at all costs where he thought this might be going, nodded for the sake politeness, then quickly started walking towards the large doors.

"Oh, Harry—"

Harry stopped in his tracks and sighed, eyes downcast, turning around. This had been bound to come up anyways so he might as well get it over with now. He looked up at the older boy, who looked like he had been about to say something but remained silent, obviously waiting for Harry to start.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Listen Cedric, if it's about Cho, I'm sorry. I had no idea you had already asked her, and when she told me I felt like a complete idiot. I never would've asked her if I had known." He paused and looked down at his feet. "I don't mean to interfere, really, I don't," he finished meekly, and raised his eyes to look at Cedric, only to see that the other boy's expression was not at all what he expected, not angry or haughty or anything.

Instead a mix of surprise and sheepishness graced the prefect's face, chewing on one side of his bottom lip and looking at Harry rather oddly. Seemingly remembering himself he cleared his throat, and said quietly, "No, actually, um…" he visibly colored and didn't continue, his eyes moving significantly to a spot above Harry's head.

Harry looked up, then felt a blush tinge his cheeks.

Mistletoe.

"Guess the other kids didn't see it, but…" Cedric trailed off, and lowered his gaze to rest on Harry's face again. He was flushed as well, but kept his eyes focused on Harry, unwavering, and took a step forward cautiously.

But wait, Harry thought urgently, his eyes widening, no—Cedric was a _bloke_, why—why would that even apply? And—and—Cedric had a girlfriend, or at least, he had just said goodnight to Cho, he had pecked her on the cheek, Harry had seen that! But apparently this was irrelevant to Cedric, who was watching him carefully, and Harry was frozen in place, mouth hanging open slightly.

Cedric moved closer still, and Harry was very aware of the rapidly disappearing space between them; Cedric now had to look down to meet his eyes. Staring at the other boy hazily, Harry unconsciously licked his lips; Cedric, eyes flicking down as he noticed this, in barely more than a whisper, said, "It's enchanted. If we both notice it, we have to…"

Harry barely registered this, as his mind was on other traitorous things, like how the light in the room made Cedric's hair look so silky, and how Cedric's dark brown lashes almost concealed the gentle liquid grey of his eyes, so near that they were almost out of focus, and how soft the curve of Cedric's pink lips looked, and my, his dress robes sure were hot, when…

Cedric's mouth was warm and assured, and any tremors Harry might have had died when their lips pressed together with urgency. Harry felt something slick and wet on his bottom lip and something in his chest knotted pleasantly, Cedric's tongue coaxing his mouth open before slipping in and caressing his tenderly.

Harry's hand shakily raised to the back of Cedric's neck, and not quite knowing what to do, his fingers traced small circles on the soft skin, making the taller boy moan into his mouth. The low sound was so close, Harry could feel the vibratory breath enter his throat, and Harry involuntarily gasped when one of Cedric's arms wrapped around his torso, pulling their bodies flush together. Their tongues flicked against each other gently and Harry thought he'd never felt anything so good in his life. Nevermind that this was Cedric Diggory: smart, charming and _male_ young Quidditch star.

Cedric lifted his free hand and cupped one side of Harry's face, his fingertips lightly running down his cheek, like hot electricity. The hot gliding of tongues slowed and Cedric paused to suck on Harry's lower lip, drawing out a tiny, desperate noise Harry didn't know he could make. His hand slid behind Harry's jaw line and into his dark messy hair, pressing the younger boy in close until Cedric's mouth closed against Harry's again, and there was only the delicate brushing of lips.

Finally they pulled away, breathing heavily, though still in each other's arms; Harry slid his hands down to clutch each of Cedric's shoulders. Harry opened his eyes only to see that his glasses had fogged up, and Cedric must have noticed too because he stifled a small laugh, peering down at him what seemed like a great distance compared to the proximity they had been in before.

"So," Cedric said, sobering as the fog disappeared off the glass. A silent 'what do we do now' passed between them as they looked at each other, and Cedric unthreaded his hand from Harry's hair, bringing down to rest on his shoulder.

Suddenly Harry had a thought. "Did you make that up?"

Cedric looked confused and frowned. "What?"

"About the mistletoe being enchanted," Harry clarified. "Because I saw tons of people go out and none of _them_ had the snog session of their lives."

"Oh." Cedric chuckled, then considered. "Well… yes and no."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

Cedric appeared thoughtful for a moment, tongue barely poking out between his lips, moistening them again, which Harry found fascinating. "It works like this: it's charmed so that if two people are standing under it, and both of them notice it and acknowledge that the other has, as well, they might have to kiss."

"Might have to?" Harry asked, mouth twisting into a smile.

Cedric looked down at him seriously, and Harry rather felt like he was being seized up, and his cheeks began grow warm again. Cedric's eyes flicked away again and Harry thought he felt Cedric's hold on him waver a bit. "Supposedly," he said softly, slowly bringing his gaze back on Harry, "It only works if the two people caught under it really want to."

Harry reddened at this and looked away. What was that supposed to mean? He liked Cho. Or was it that… He swallowed. Was it that he thought he liked Cho, when all this time he had fancied the tall, handsome boy in front of him? Each time he had stared wistfully after the couple, it hadn't been for the pretty Ravenclaw, but for Cedric?

His inner turmoil must have shown on his face because Cedric looked at him with concern and brought his hand up again to touch his cheek, drawing his chin up. His mouth quirked into a small smile, and Harry found that the technicalities of his schoolboy crush, whether it be for the girl or the boy, were unimportant because he was here, in Cedric's arms right now, and nothing else mattered.

Harry closed his eyes and sighed softly, leaning into the other boy, his head resting against Cedric's warm, sturdy chest.

And Cedric tilted his head down, angling it, and whispered, lips brushing his ear almost unnoticeably, "Happy Christmas, Harry."

_-fin-_


End file.
